Report & Highlights: 10-man Palace fight for third straight win

Summary

• Agbinone comes in for Dashi as only change to the side

• He puts Palace ahead 15 minutes in with a precise strike from distance

• Edwards comes close to putting Villa back on level terms

• Palace are reduced to 10-men as King is shown a straight red 36 minutes in

• Marsh nets a second for Palace just before half-time

• Villa are also reduced to 10-men as Carroll is shown a second yellow in first-half stoppage time

• HT: Palace 2-0 Villa

• Villa halve the deficit shortly after the restart through Mulley

• Palace are awarded a penalty a minute later, though Marsh’s effort is saved

• Mulley levels for Villa just past the hour-mark

• Villa are down to nine men as Pavey sees red for a deliberate handball

• Cardines fires just wide from a free-kick

• Seb Williams puts Palace back ahead in the 86th minute

• Eastwood makes a stunning save in the fifth minute of time added on

• FT: Palace 3-2 Villa

Just over a week on from the 2-1 win against Plymouth Argyle in the third round of the FA Youth Cup, Crystal Palace Under-18s were back at Copers Cope for their final game of 2023 as they welcomed Aston Villa.

Asher Agbinone, who came on off the bench and assisted the winner against Plymouth, made his first start of the season in place of Matteo Dashi who dropped to the bench.

Both sides had sighters of goal in the opening 15 minutes, though neither goalkeeper was really tested with a gilt-edged chance. Villa’s I-Lani Edwards fired narrowly wide of the mark with the visitor’s best chance of note.

The returning Agbinone opened the scoring for Palace with a precise strike on the edge of the box just after Edwards missed at the other end for Villa. His tricky footwork allowed him space to pick out the bottom corner and drive his shot home past a helpless Sam Lewis in the Villa goal.

Palace looked good value for their lead and started to enjoy more of the ball. Villa were reduced to efforts from range, though they were handed a lifeline of sorts as the young Eagles were reduced to 10 men.

The hero from the previous outing against Plymouth, George King, was deemed to be the last man when challenging for the ball against Cole Brannigan and was unfortunately shown a straight red card.

Though Palace were down to 10 men, they soldiered on and managed to double their lead on the stroke of half-time. An excellent move on a breakaway saw Jesse Derry feed an overlapping Rio Cardines who raced towards the byline.

He cut it back across into the six-yard box and picked out Zach Marsh who couldn’t miss from close range.

The captain’s 18th goal of the campaign looked as though it was the final act of the half, however Villa’s TJ Carroll was shown a second yellow card after pulling on Marsh’s shirt to prevent him breaking through.

Both sides emerged for the second-half ready to go at it with 10-men each, and the visitors started the half brightly. Just 54 minutes in, Trai-varn Mulley halved the deficit with a well-taken goal.

Palace were handed an opportunity to restore their two-goal cushion just a minute later as Aginbone was brought down inside the box. Marsh stepped up from 12-yards, but saw his effort saved by Lewis.

The young Eagles were left to rue the missed penalty as the visitors levelled just a few minutes later. Mulley was in the right place at the right time to finish from close range after a cutback across the box.

With the scores level, the game was finely poised for the final 30 minutes that remained. Villa were remarkably brought down to nine men after Charlie Pavey deliberately handled the ball to deny a through ball to Derry.

Cardines’ resulting free-kick following the red card was just narrowly wide of Lewis’ post. Palace were pushing for a winner now they had the man advantage, but chances came and went.

Four minutes from time, Joe Gibbard found himself out wide and skipped into the box past Mulley. He calmly squared it across into the path of second-half substitute Seb Williams whose goal bound shot deflected in.

Rob Quinn’s side saw out the remaining time added on to claim all three points, thanks in part to an excellent last-minute save from Eastwood to deny George Hemmings. The result means the side move up to fourth place, behind Chelsea on goal difference.

Palace: Eastwood (GK), Grante, Jemide, King, Cardines, Adams-Collman (Kyremeh, 76), Gibbard (Cowin, 90+2), Mustapha (S. Williams, 66), Agbinone, Marsh (Dashi, 66), Derry.

Sub not used: Khoshaba (GK).

Villa: Lewis (GK), Katsukunya, Lynch (Onuchukwu, 59), Carroll, Moreland, Jimoh (Hemmings, 59), Mulley, Edwards (Timson, 87), Wilson (McDowell, 71), Pavey, Brannigan.

Sub not used: Oakley (GK).